At PittsburghUniversity, Martin Stein and Ray Palmer inform Jason and Ronnie that they need to disarm the Firestorm matrix that has bound them together.Neither Stein nor Palmer knows why the young men can split into their individual selves, but the Atom needs to shrink to microscopic size to enter Firestorm and save them.While the Atom attempts to affect the transformation, a dark force begins to talk to and manipulate Ronnie, causing a massive explosion that tears through the lab…

In Pearl River, NY, a seemingly-ordinary housewife is unsettled by the fact that the Martian Manhunter has returned to life.She brutally butchers her family and tears off her skin, muttering, “J’onzzzzzzz.”Meanwhile, in Denver, CO,J’onn J’onzz visits the grave of Dr. Saul Erdel and learns that the man who brought him to Earth had a daughter…

Hawkman and Hawkgirl break into Hath-Set’s command post in the Peruvian jungle and learn that their immortal foe has returned.Enraged that they are not in control of their destinies, Hawkman lashes out, swearing that both he and Hawkgirl are going to make their own fate, starting with killing Hath-Set…

J’onn J’onzz, in the form of Saul Erdel, arrives at the Mount Hope Senior Home and visits Melissa, Erdel’s daughter, to find out what she knows.J’onn learns that Erdel and his daughter had brought a Martian menace to Earth before he arrived, and that Erdel saw J’onn as a hero, someone who could save him from his recklessness.J’onn returns Melissa to the senior home, knowing that there’s another Martian out there…

Boston Brand watches helplessly as Aquaman and Mera return to the sea, while the White Lantern power ring teleports him to parts unknown.He looks up, only to see the Anti-Monitor looming over him…

Page 3:Jason Rusch and Ronnie Raymond have been stuck together as Firestorm since Brightest Day #0.

Page 4:“With Martian Manhunter not around, no one else can hear me but you!”Because he is a telepath, J’onn J’onzz can “hear” Jason as easily as Ronnie can.

Page 5:“The fire’s not just for show anymore.”I am pretty sure that it was established at some point that Firestorm’s hair wasn’t really on fire, that it was more for effect than anything else.However, I have no idea why I remember this, or from where, or if I’m even remembering it correctly.Sorry.

Page 9:Pearl River, NY is a hamlet in the town of Orangetown, NY, on the west side of the Hudson River in RocklandCounty.It’s actually about a twenty minute drive from my house.Given what seems to be happening there, I’ll steer clear of it, thank you very much…

Ah, a nice, quiet, normal suburban family…

Page 10:You just can’t trust those nice, quiet, normal suburban families, you know?One minute they’re playing a game of “Guitar Hero” before dinner, and the next mom is butchering the family and ripping the skin off her body.

“J’onzzzzzzz…”This must be that wacky ex-girlfriend that J’onn never talks about…

Page 11:J’onn J’onzz last appeared in Brightest Day #1.

Dr. Saul Erdel was the man who inadvertently snatched J’onn from Mars and teleported him to Earth.

Not to be morbid or anything, but Erdel’s been dead for a while.Long enough so that his daughter is now in a senior home.Shouldn’t his body be a bit more decomposed than it is?

Page 12:Hawkman and Hawkgirl last appeared in Brightest Day #1.

Page 13:“Hath-Set” is Hawkman and Hawkgirl’s immortal foe, who in reincarnated time and time again to plague them.

A death mask is a wax or plaster cast of one’s face made after their death.It can be used to make portraits of the dead, or, as in the case here, as a memento.

The death mask that Hawkman holds in his hands was of Nighthawk, the Old West gunslinger; this was one of Carter Hall’s past lives.

“The Sword of Damocles” refers to an anecdote from Greek culture.Damocles, a courtier, switches place with a wealthy tyrant, enjoying all that fortune could offer.During a bountiful dinner, Damocles looked up to see a sharpened sword hanging over his head, hanging only by a hair.Damocles immediately lost his appetite and asked to leave.This story conveys the idea that a great man lives in a state of constant fear.

Page 14:Whoa.Reminds me to not get Hawkman angry.

Page 15:Man, for a dead guy, Saul Erdel is looking pretty spry…

Page 16:I’m am not one hundred percent positive about this, but I think that the idea about the Martians coming to Earth to aid the Aztec civilization is new.

“ – And I was glad mom left – “Will we meet this mysterious Mrs. Erdel sometime in the future?

Page 17:That’s the problem with teleporting creatures from across the solar system to Earth – sometimes they’re tall green guys in capes, and other times they’re rampaging, multi-armed beasts.You just don’t know.

So…anyone else think that this creature and the skin-ripping mom from Pearl River have some sort of connection?Anyone?

Page 18:“…along with a piece of the transporter console that left its mark on me forever.”Well, I’m sure that this is just a throwaway line and nothing will ever come of that.

Page 19:I know that this is nitpicky, but how does J’onn, a telepath, not sense that Erdel had a daughter?Wouldn’t the man be thinking about her as he died?Wouldn’t J’onn have picked up a stray thought as Erdel slipped away?

I know, she didn’t exist until this issue.I get it.I’m moving on…

Page 20:Aquaman, Mera and Boston Brand last appeared in Brightest Day #1.

Pages 22-23:The Anti-Monitor, also known as pretty much the Biggest Big Bad the DC Universe has ever known.First appeared (in shadow) in Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 and (fully seen) in Crisis on Infinite Earths #5.He manipulates anti-matter energy to destroy universe.Not people, not towns, not planets…whole universes.He’s pretty freaking powerful.Last appeared in Blackest Night #8.

Now, why the White Lantern power ring restored the Anti-Monitor to life is completely beyond me.Seems like a silly thing to do, to be honest…